Homenet estate agent Thinus Scheepers was shocked at the extent of
vandalism and theft at a house he sold in Pelham. The back door of the
house was chopped to gain entry, the burglar gate broken and the house
was "stripped".

"The airconditioners were removed and stripped, the ceiling was
broken and the geyser stolen. The bathroom basin was also stolen, all
the taps in the house were gone as well as all the pipes outside. The
light switch casings were all removed and all the copper wire was stolen,"
he said.

The pool pump had also been destroyed.

"I think that maybe they (the thieves) stayed in the house while
they were stripping it," said Scheepers.

He said the owner would have to spend thousands of rands refurbishing
the house.

He advised home owners who had moved out of their houses to have guards
protect the property. If the house was sold, the new owners should move
in, even before the property had been transferred.

A house Magnum Properties estate agent Gavin Bloy was selling was also
burgled.

"The geyser and kitchen sink were stolen," he said, adding
that the thieves also broke the bathroom basin and removed all the light
switch covers.

Bloy suggested that people put up curtains in empty houses, leave windows
open during the day and perhaps install timer switches so that lights
go on for a short while at night.

Johan Burger, of the Institute for Security Studies, said he suspected
the break-ins were the work of an organised group.

He said the only remedies were to have people stay in the house or
to have neighbours or a security company keep tabs on the place.

Police Superintendent Henry Budhram confirmed there had been a surge
of burglaries at unoccupied houses in the past month.

"We are aware of several cases," he said, adding that each
case was being investigated.

This article was originally published on page
5 of The Mercury
on June 18, 2008